Love to wear black? Don't wilt in summer heat

By OLIVIA JUDKINS

TX. Correpondent

I don't even know how this happened. It could be that black is a color that goes with everything. Or I just love the color.

Regardless of how it came to be, I noticed this summer that having a wardrobe full of the color black means you basically beckon the sun to heat you up with its rays.

I learned this the hard way when I went to California during a heat wave and almost died in 104-degree heat. This made me a gross sweating mess of sadness, and I know it makes other feel this way too! (At least you still look cool because nobody looks bad in black.)

So I've compiled a few ways to help you cool down in the summer when dressed in a dark color that soaks up the sun.

1. Sit in front of a fan

Thankfully fans work just as well outside as they do inside, so bring a fan with you wherever you go. With our cellphones needing to be charged 24/7 nowadays, you don't have to worry about not finding a plug! You can always find one, plug your fan in and presto! Now you aren't hotter than Hades in the desert!

2. Constantly dump cold water on yourself

This one is a bit hard to keep up with, but don't worry, it's worth it! The night before you go out to an event or something, load your fridge with bottled water and let it chill overnight. Then, in the morning, fill a cooler up with your bottled water and ice. Bring it with you wherever you go and when you get too hot, just dump it on yourself. It'll feel like you're at the pool every day!

3. Bring a cooler of ice with you

Like the previous tip, but simpler. Go to any grocery store and buy ice. It doesn't matter which type you get (I prefer the little pellet ice because it's the best to eat!) as long as it's your favorite. Then fill a cooler up with the ice and bring it with you; when you feel yourself getting too hot, either sit in the cooler or dunk your face in it. Be careful, you can injure your face if you go too fast!

Or you can also fill the cooler with half water and half ice if that floats your boat instead.

4. Cry

This one is the hardest to do by a long shot but it'll be worth it in the end. When you feel yourself getting too hot, cry and scream at the sun. Show it how bad it's making you feel by targeting you for wearing all black. Maybe there’s a rare chance the sun will take pity on you and correct its ways and only heat you up to the perfect temperature. However, I've been doing this one for a while and have yet to make the sun take pity on me.

5. Pay people to fan you

While this tip can cost a lot, it does work well. You yourself are a god/goddess —. you don't need to personally fan yourself off; you're way too important for that! So pay someone else to do it for you; let them have the pleasure of fanning you with those huge fans you see in the movies. As you recline in your sea of pillows, you deserve to be fanned like a god/goddess. Because you are one.

6. Stay inside for all eternity because the evil sun can't reach you

I hope these tips help you stay cool the rest of the summer and the summers to come.

As for dressing in black all the time, most people will suggest wearing white and light colors with flowing sleeves and skirts in the summer. I'm the realist here and realize I'm broke and don't have money to suddenly change my wardrobe because the weather demands it.

Besides, who wouldn't want to wear all black all the time?

Olivia Judkins will be a senior this fall at Clearfield High School. Email her at LivvyJudkins99@gmail.com.